Panel and connecting means therefor



Feb. 3, 1948. w, MANHARD 2,435,286

PANEL AND CONNECTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Jan. '5, 1946 II A: L

E? I lnwni'or:

Mllzam Ejlfanhard fi-harney.

Patentd Feb. 3,

PANEL AND comcrmc MEANS 'rnnnaron William E. Manhard, Picton, Ontario,Canada Application January 5, 1948, Serial No. 639,363 En CanadaFebruary 1, 1945 7 malms.

This invention relates to prefabricated building or like constructionand more particularly to structures including means for securingtogether in erected position prefabricated panels.

It is an object of the present invention to provide prefabricated panelsand a clamping device for association therewith and by means of whichsuch panels may be erected in a rapid, efficient and satisfactorymanner. Another object is to provide a panel and clamping device whichare convenient and inexpensive tomanufacture and which may be employedto form a building or the like with merely a simple tool, such as ahammer, and without supplementary fastening means, such as nails and thelike. A more particular object is to provide simple means for securelyanchoring together in close fit prefabricated panels which mayconstitutethe walls, roof, floor or any portion of a building.

Other objects, advantages and details of the invention will becomeapparent as the descriptlon proceeds with particular reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the prefabricated panels andclamping device in erected position,

Figure 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, of a panel and clampingdevice,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, in perspective, of theclamping device, and

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the invention applied as a cornerstructure.

In the drawing, I and 2 are prefabricatedbuilding panels, eachcomprising a frame consisting of an upper member of plate 3, a lowermember or sill, 4 and studs 5, and facing sheets 5 of plywood or thelike. Extending centrally along the outer lateral edges of each panel isa groove or recess 7 formed in the stud and upper and lower members. Itwill be observed that, when the panels are in erected position withtheir edges in abutting relation, the grooves i of such abutting edgesare in registry to form the rectangular opening I shown extending fromtop to bottom of the panels.

The clamping device in accordance with the invention comprises aplurality of brackets each consisting of a pair of T-shaped members 8,and a spline member 9, all said members being preferably formed ofmetal. The members 8 are mounted on the studs 5 with their heads illseated in recesses H on the inside surface of the stud and are fastenedto the stud by any suitable means, as by screws or the like (not shown).The

(CI. 20-4) z tend through openings l3 in the stud and project into thecorresponding openings I3 in the adjoining stud. The legs l2 of eachpair of members are adapted to be placed in overlapping abutting 5relation, as clearly shown in Figure 1, the openings l3 being ofsufficient size to accommodate the two legs.

Each of the legs l2 of the brackets .is provided with a rectangularopening I4, which are adapt- 10 ed to be more or less in registry whenthe adjacent panel edges are in engagement with each other as shown inFigure 1. The openings M of the series of members having their legs inupper relation with respect to the legs of the other series areprogressively shorter in length from top to bottom of the panel. Theopenings M in the other series may be of uniform size.

The spline 9 is provided with a plurality of spaced inclined or wedgingsurfaces IE on one edge thereof, the spline thus having a plurality ofprogressively narrower portions it from top to bottom thereof. Thespline is of a maximum width adapted to be readily insertable in theopening l.

5 It will be observed that, when the spline is driven downwardly intothe opening 1' and through the openings II, the upper wedging surface 55will engage the outer edge of opening it in the upper leg of the topmember 8 and the opposite edge of the spline, which is in a single theupper leg of the next bracket and the opposite edge of the spline willengage the outer edge of the opening H in the lower leg of the bracket.Similar engagement is adapted to take place between the spline and allthe brackets provided.

Such engagement will draw the edges of the panels into tight-fittingengagement. The wedging surfaces i! may be so arranged that suchtight-fitting engagement occurs before the plane portions it of maximumwidth engage the edges of openings ll whereby, should subsequenttightening of the joints between the panels be desirable, it is onlynecessary to drive the spline downwardly a short distance. However, thiswill generaliy be unnecessary since, with the spline locked to inposition, loosening of the joint will not normally take place. It isadvisable that the opening '5" should conform closely in shape to thatof the spline when the latter is in wedging position therein, as shownin Figure 1, and that the spline legs i2 of the series of members on onestud exshould fit somewhat snugly therein so that escape of moisture andvapour will be out to some extent thereby.

The spline may be locked in place in any suitable manner. However, it isproposed to lock the spline to the floor and roof sections of thebuilding thereby accomplishing the double function of locking the splinein place and of rigidly securing the floor and roof to the wall panels.Referring to Figure 1, i1 is a roof panel frame member and 18 a floorpanel frame member. The rectangular opening 1' is continued through suchmembers as shown. A pair of metal plates is are fixed on either side ofthe member 11 and an opening 20 extends through the plates and member H.A wedge-shaped member 2i is adapted to be driven through such opening 20and to engage the upper edge of an opening 2| on the spline 9. A metalplate 22 is fixed to the lower surface of the floor frame member i8 andhas an opening 24 therein for passage of the spline therethrough. Awedge-shaped member 23 is adapted to be driven through an opening 25 inthe spline and to engage the lower edge of such opening and the lowersurface of plate 22. The spline will thus be securely locked in placewith the adjacent floor and roof panels rigidly clamped to the wallpanels.

The invention may be readily applied in various ways to the provisionand clamping of comer panels. Referring to Figure 4, a, prefabricatedcorner panel 28 is provided having studs 21 facing sheets 28, and edgestuds 29 formed in accordance with the invention and adapted to beclamped to the studs 30 of prefabricated panels 3| constructed in themanner previously described.

It will be understood that the invention may be applied to theprefabrication and erection of any enclosure, such as boxes, packingcases, crates, casings and the like. Use of the invention in theconstruction of packing cases or crates would render it possible tosalvage such containers since they would be readily demountable withoutinjury thereto and inconvenient form for storage or shipment. I

In its broad sense, the invention is applicable to the clamping togetherof any two surfaces which are to be joined together in locked condition.

While three pair of clamping brackets have been employed in the panelsillustrated it will be understood that any desirable number of suchbrackets may be provided.

It will also be apparent that various changes in the described detailsmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for clamping together two juxtaposed panels which comprises aplurality of pairs of spaced clamping brackets, each said bracket havinga leg portion in overlapping relation with a leg portion of the otherbracket of a pair and a head portion anchored in a. different one ofsaid panels, said leg portions each having an opening therein, at leastportion of all of said openings being in registry, and a, spline driventhrough all of said openings and having a. plurality of stepped wedgingsurfaces on one edge thereof each arranged to engage an edge portion ofa different one of said openings.

2. Means for clamping together two juxtaposed panels which comprises aseries of spaced clamping members anchored in one-of said panels, eachsaid member having a leg portion extending outwardly from said panel,said other panel having recesses therein to receive the ends of said legportions, 9. second series of spaced clamping members anchored in theother of said panels,

.each of said second series of members having a leg portion extending inoverlapping contacting relation with one ofsaid first leg portions, saidfirst panel having recesses therein to receive the ends of said secondseries of leg portions, said leg portions each having an openingtherein, at least a, portion of said openings being in registry, theopenings of at least one of said series of leg portions beingsuccessively smaller in size, and a spline driven through all of saidopenings and having a plurality of stepped wedging surfaces on one edgethereof each arranged to engage the edge portion of a different one ofsaid openings of successively smaller size.

3. In a building structure, a pair of prefabricated building panels eachhaving an edge stud for engagement with each other, means for securingsaid panels togethercomprislng a, series of spaced clamping membersanchored in one of said studs and each having a portion projecting fromsaid stud, said other stud having recesses therein to receive saidprojecting portions, 9, second series of spaced clamping membersanchored in the other stud and each having 8. Portion projectingoutwardly from said other stud,

the first stud having recesses therein to receivev the latter projectingportions, all said projecting portions having openings therein at leastpartly in registry with each other, and a spline for insertion throughall said openings, said spline having a series of wedging surfaces onone edge thereof for engagement with the edges of said openings.

4. In a building structure, a pair of prefabriof spaced clamping membersanchored in one of said studs and each having a projecting leg, the

- other stud having recesses therein to receive said projecting legs, asecond series of spaced clamping members anchored in the other stud andeach having a projecting leg in overlapping and contacting relation withthe lower surface of one of said first legs, said first stud havingrecesses therein to receive said second series of projecting legs, allsaid legs having openings therein at least partly in registry with eachother, the openings in the legs of said first series of members beingsuccessively smaller in size from the top to the bottom of the panels,and a spline for insertion through all said openings, said spline havinga series of wedging surfaces in different planes on one edge thereofadapted to engage the edges of the openings of said first series oflegs, the opposite edge of said spline being plane and arranged toengage the edges of the openings of said second series of legs.

5. Means for clamping together a. pair of panels each having an edgestud for engagement with each other comprising a series of spacedclamping members anchored in one of said studs and each having a, legprojecting outwardly from the stud, said other stud having recessestherein to receive said legs, a second series of spaced clamping membersanchored in the other stud and each having a leg projecting outwardlyfrom said stud, said first stud having recesses therein to receive saidsecond series of legs, openings in each of said legs in at least partialregistry with each other, and a spline having a series of wedgingsurfaces in diflerent planes on one edge thereof adapted to engage theedges of the openings of the first series of legs, the opposite edge ofsaid spline being plane and arranged to engage the edges of the openingsof the second series of legs.

6. A prefabricated building panel comprising frame elements at the edgesthereof and facing sheets on either side thereof, the frame element ofat least one edge of the panel being recessed 10 at at least two spacedpoints. a metallic T-shaped member seated in each recess with its headsubstantially flush with the innersurface of said element, and the legportion of said member extending through the element and projectingbeyond 15 Number 6 portions having openings therein, at least a portionof each of said openings being in registry with said groove.

7. A prefabricated building panel as defined in claim 6, wherein saidopenings are rectangular in shape and are of successively shorter lengthfrom top to bottom of said panel.

WILLIAM E. MANHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,140,772 Slayter et a1. Dec. 20, 19382,142,388 .Wallace Jan. 3, 1939 2,414,628 Battin Jan. 21, 1947

